There are two primary types of floor cleaning systems: vacuums and mops. Vacuums primarily utilize suction to pull dust and dirt from carpets and floors, while mops have historically comprised wet sponges, or the like, for applying liquids to wipe a floor clean. Conventional mop and bucket systems are not reliable in removing all dirt from a floor due to the tendency of the mop head, be it a sponge or fabric type, to permanently embed dirt and bacteria into the fibers of the mop head that are then re-deposited onto the floor. Every time the user dumps the mop head into the bucket, they are transferring dirt and bacteria from the floor to the water in the bucket, which is then distributed to other parts of the floor when the user lifts the mop from the bucket and reapplies it to another area of the floor.
Traditional mop systems also require repeated manual wringing and squeezing out of the mop head and lifting of the mop by the user, which is strenuous physical labor that may cause overuse and/or acute muscular skeletal injuries. These types of injuries have recently been the subject of class action lawsuits against entities within the hospitality industry.
Additionally, current mopping systems that re-cycle the contaminated water removed from the floor are energy inefficient because they require filtering and otherwise cleaning all of the water in the mopping system, and not just the newly added contaminated water. This has the disadvantages of: reduced work efficiency by requiring more wait time for the user, increased demand for power, and increased likelihood of bacteria proliferation in the water.